Finding Inspiration
by ndyss
Summary: Lucy tries to work at her novel, but things never go the way she plans... or do they? Sometimes inspiration comes in unexpected ways...


Author's note: This is sort of an experiment, because I've never written something so happy and silly (for lack of better words) and because it's the first story I post in English, which is not my first language. So I will deeply appreciate any form of review (especially if I mess up the format or the uploading, because I'm fairly new here...). Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Fairy Tail.

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><p>FINDING INSPIRATION<p>

"I really want to write… I need to write… Oh, what do I write?" Lucy sat at her desk, her head thrown over the back of the chair in frustration. She hadn't written new material for her novel in weeks and Levy's continuous requests for an ending, though encouraging, weren't helping her. True, the fact that she spent most of her free time at the guild complaining about her constant lack of money wasn't helping either. Ever since she had joined Fairy Tail her mind had been filled with so many thoughts that concentrating on her stories was becoming harder and harder. There were just so many things catching her interest, demanding her attention, that, even if she desperately wanted to write and knew what she wanted to write, she simply couldn't. Levy said she was just experiencing a writer's block, but still, being the stubborn girl that she was, Lucy used every moment free of distraction to sit at her desk and try to get something done. A task not so easy to accomplish, considering the consistent lack of peace and quiet in her apartment. When Natsu wasn't trying to sneak in through the locked window, furiously knocking and getting yelled at by passersby, Gray was bursting in through the door, like walking into someone's house butt naked was a normal behavior. The worst was, of course, when Erza joined in, trying to physically knock some sense into those idiots and to convince them to leave the blond mage alone, but mostly ending up spending the night in an improvised sleepover.

As if on cue, Lucy heard the window behind her burst open. She rose with a sigh and turned to look at the intruder.

"Do you have something against using the door?" she asked, watching with a little frown as the Dragon Slayer settled on the window sill.

"Doors are too easy." he answered with his usual wide grin. "Besides, there's always a chance of meeting the stripper on the stairs." Lucy took a deep breath and released it all in one sentence:

"Please tell me Gray's not outside my door naked!" Natsu's grin grew wider.

"Nah, he left for a mission this morning."

"Then why didn't you use the door?" He shrugged.

"Because it's not fun." She sighed, a little exasperated. Then she noticed something.

"Where's Happy?" she asked.

"Fishing." She gave him a suspicious look.

"And why aren't you with him?" He shrugged again.

"He says I scare the fishes away because I'm too loud. He's probably right. So I thought we could go on a mission together or something…" The grin never left his face and Lucy couldn't help but smiling back. Then she looked over her shoulder to the sheets of paper abandoned on her desk.

"Uhm… Actually I was doing something and I should probably finish…" She said hesitantly. The little truth in it didn't make it sound less of an excuse. She didn't want to lie to him, nor send him away. She still considered him her best friend, after all, even though she knew deep down that wasn't entirely true anymore. Following that train of thoughts with Natsu in her home wasn't such a good idea, considering the speed at which her face was reddening. She turned around to hide her blush. He didn't seem to notice.

"Well, maybe I can help." He came by her side and noticed the papers covering her desk. His face lit up when he realized what those were.

"It's you book! Is it done yet?" He didn't wait for her answer, just pounced on the desk and started browsing through the pages.

"Natsu, wait!" She reached him and tried to cover the pages with her hands. "I never said you could read that!" The Dragon Slayer managed to steal a page and started reading it, turning so she couldn't stop him. She tried to take it back, but he kept it out of her reach, laughing at her attempts.

"Natsu, give it back right now!" Half yelling and half laughing, Lucy was jumping up and down to get the page, a hand on Natsu's shoulder for support.

"Ah-ha! Got it!" she said triumphantly as she finally snatched it back.

"Ah-ha! Gotcha!" he replied, catching her when she lost her balance and trapping her in his arms. They were both still laughing and it took them a moment to realize how close they were standing.

"Why can't I read it?" he asked, still smiling, but suddenly conscious of the lack of space between them. Lucy's gaze drifted from his eyes to his lips and then back up while her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink.

"It's not done yet." She answered in a quiet voice. They were so close it was almost painful knowing neither would do anything to change their friendship to something else. So she let her hands slide to his chest and pushed a little to see if she could slip out of his embrace, but his arms just held her closer.

"Then why don't you finish it?" He asked with honest curiosity. Lucy smiled at that, her worries partially forgotten.

"Well, first of all I need some peace and quiet to concentrate…" she said with a fake scolding look. "And second, right now I don't seem to be inspired enough."

"Well, maybe I can help." A crooked smile was on his face and before she could stop him he left her to gather all the pages lying on her desk and scattered them on her bed. Then he sat down and patted the spot next to him with his usual wide grin.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Helping you. So… how does this work?" Lucy sighed. She settled on the center of the bed with Natsu leaning over her shoulder to look at her work. He rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her close. She didn't know what to do. Moving was out of the question: his warmth behind her was pleasant and, besides, sitting like that he couldn't see her blush. Writing didn't sound like an option either, considering that her mind was focused on something entirely different. That thought led to an idea springing in her mind. Maybe she could take advantage of the situation, after all. With a little mischievous smile playing at her lips she picked a blank piece of paper and started writing.

_She was sitting with her back to him, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.  
><em>

Lucy knew Natsu was reading and the thought made her heart flutter a little. She bit her lip and went on.

_The wood crackled in the fireplace, the low flames creating the perfect ambience. He moved her hair over her shoulder and left a trail of kisses over her exposed neck._

Natsu's arm tightened around her waist. Trying to hide her smile she tied her hair in a messy ponytail, leaving her own neck bare. She wasn't really sure where she was going with this, but she wanted to see how far it would take her. And besides, at least she was writing something.

_She rested her head on his shoulder and buried her hand in his hair. She closed her eyes and his lips sealed hers in a searing kiss._

Oh, Levy was going to love that part! What had started as an attempt at teasing Natsu was turning into something she might actually use for her novel. She was about to continue when she was abruptly pulled back from her thoughts by something warm pressing on her neck. It took her a moment to realize that was the feeling of Natsu's lips on her skin. She gasped and turned to face him.

"What… what was that?" Her voice came out weaker than she had intended. The way he was looking at her, with his dark eyes suddenly serious, probably had something to do with that.

"I'm not as oblivious as you think I am, Luce." he whispered. Then, slowly, he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest, but it didn't matter. Her mind went blank, all she could think of was her mouth moving with his. She didn't know how long it lasted, it felt like time had stopped around them so that they could go on forever. Eventually, he pulled back from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. Lucy's hand had fallen to his chest, where she could feel his heart beating faster. A small smile surfaced on her lips when she saw how nervous he looked. Mimicking his actions, she cupped his cheek and pulled him to her for another kiss. She felt him smile and sighed content, wrapping her arms around his neck. This time when they parted there were no worries left, only a comfortable, happy silence. She gave him a peck on his lips, then turned her attention back to the pages still laying on the bed. Confused by the abrupt change, Natsu could only sit there for a moment, staring questioningly at her back.

"Lucy?" he called, a little baffled. She looked at him from over her shoulder with the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"It seems I've found some inspiration after all." she said apologetically. He laughed at that, relieved. Lucy turned back to her writing and immediately felt his arms encircle her waist. She leaned back into the hug and suppressed a shiver when he whispered in her ear:

"See? I told you I could help."


End file.
